1. Technical Field
The invention relates to ring dispensers and particularly to a dispenser which automatically separates and dispenses individual rings from a plurality of rings manually placed on the dispenser. More particularly, the invention relates to such a dispenser which individually delivers and supplies the rings to a bead loading machine in a tire or air spring manufacturing assembly line.
2. Background Information
In the manufacture of pneumatic tires, elastomeric air springs and similar products, an annular ring or bead formed of metal or synthetic material is applied to the sidewall area of the pneumatic tires or open ends of the elastomeric member of the air spring to provide reinforcement thereto and to provide a satisfactory seal with the adjacent rim or end caps.
Heretofore these rings were either manually placed by an operator of a buildup drum on the ends of elastomeric material strips, whether it be used for forming a pneumatic tire, air spring or similar product, or else automatically delivered to the build-up drum by slide and gate feed mechanisms.
Although these prior manual and automatic feed procedures are satisfactory for certain applications, it is desirable to provide a relatively simple mechanism which can be fully automated for individually feeding a ring to a ring receiving member, such as a bead loading, machine which can individually dispense the rings to the bead loading machine for subsequent automated programmed movement in a tire manufacturing or air spring manufacturing procedure.
Some examples of known prior mechanisms for transporting, feeding and/or supplying individual rings for various manufacturing and assembly operations are shown in the patents set forth below.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,343,715 discloses a dispensing device having a rotatable helical conveyor which rotates and dispenses individual articles stored on a rod. Individual shelves for retaining rolls or buns are positioned on the rod and as the rod is rotated under a driving force of a motor assembly, the individual buns are moved to an opening for dispensing by the helical screw.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,180,182 discloses a dispensing magazine device which includes a screw rotatable by a motor. Articles to be dispensed are located on the rotating screw and the screw rotates until a photosensitive device detects when the article is dropped and stops rotation of the screw so that only one article at a time will be dispensed. The magazine is loaded with hangable money packets and by tipping a pair of screws, the screw will rotate continuously until a packet is dropped with the rotation then being stopped after detection of the dispensed packet.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,581,084 discloses a method and apparatus for transferring bead cores wherein a feed unit includes a rotatable feed shaft with screw portions and a bead pressing assembly comprising another rotatable screw. In order to operate the bead transfer device, a feed drum is located with a set of bead cores around the bead drum. In this way, an integral tube of the bead cores on the feed drum is forced to move the drum segments toward a bead receiver unit forcing the bead cores to depart from the feed drum. Individual drum segments of the feed drum are caused to move radially away from a support shaft until the drum is expanded.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,683,020 discloses another apparatus for storing and filling tire beads wherein a conveyor assembly is mounted on a turret and has a number of continuous conveyors which are driven by a motor. The conveyors operate simultaneously to move beads towards the end of the conveyor in order to feed one bead at a time to a bead transfer device.
Russian Pat. No. 962,137 discloses a screw conveyor which is utilized for feeding machined components and includes a spiral which is fixed at one end to a drive shaft. The components are carried by the screw conveyor and are conducted to a discharge window.
Of the known prior art patents discussed above, U.S. Pat. No. 4,180,182 is believed to be the most pertinent, but it pertains to the dispensing of money packets which are moved along a threaded shaft on paper clips which ride in the valleys or on the roots of the rotating shaft which is not satisfactory for rings of a larger cross-sectional diameter of the type used for pneumatic tires and/or air springs.
Therefore, the need exists for an improved ring dispenser which individually feeds and dispenses rings from a plurality of rings onto a ring transfer machine preferably for subsequent use in a manufacturing process.